As one of the oldest institutional oral history collections in the U.S., the Oral History Archives at Columbia (OHAC) has many resources to help you understand the range of oral history methods and primary sources available to the Columbia community. This list is updated at the start of each academic year, so check back to learn what’s new.

Information for accessing oral history materials

The Oral History Archives at Columbia University (OHAC) website is refreshed with updated details for searching for materials, accessing them, making reading room appointments, ordering up to three transcripts for research use, and citation guidelines.

Searching the Collections

Columbia University Libraries’ online catalog, CLIO, is searchable by keyword, subject, and name.

The OHAC search portal contains materials accessible online in the Digital Library Collection.

Reference assistance can be accessed by emailing OHAC staff.

Browse oral history news and collections announcements here on the Rare Book & Manuscript Library’s new site.

Contextualizing oral history collections and methodological standardization at Columbia

The Lost in Transcription exhibition describes iterations of transcripts in the Oral History Archives at Columbia (OHAC). These changes illustrate contradictions and ambivalence related to ethics, accessibility, time, labor, and use. Reviewing how transcription practices evolve help you understand what you’re seeing in the printed version of interviews and, if undertaking creating original oral history interviews,

DO BETTER: A Call to Re-Imagine Oral History – How can we truly listen? How can we ensure the stories we capture are both authentic and accessible? These are the questions driving the Oral History Archives at Columbia’s display, DO BETTER: Reflexively + Critically Encountering Oral History Methods. Download the exhibition’s content and explore the evolution of oral history, challenging its foundations and envisioning its future

Guidance for designing and funding an oral history project

Researchers interested in using oral history methods for their own projects can use their Columbia UNI to enroll in OHAC’s Courseworks self-study space for additional resources and guidance.

And for the latest Columbia University Libraries’ insider tips, check out “Two Columbia Librarians on the Hacks, Etiquette, and Best Spots Inside the University’s Libraries.”